This blog desires to encourage and serve people in the gospel of Christ. It is our passion that the beauty of Christ may radiate through our marriage, lifestyle and parenting. We also hope you enjoy reading about the stories that make up our lives.

Tuesday, March 18, 2008

Tuesday's Testimony - Kristy Horton

Meet my friend Kristy. I've known her for about 3 1/2 years. As a matter of fact, she was one of the ladies by my side in my fluctuating relationship with James. :) She saw me single, married, and as a mother. She is married to Dan Horton, a Pastor at Lifespring Community Church here in Louisville. She is also the mother of two children, Isaiah and Lydia. May her testimony be an encouragement to you this day.

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My spiritual life began at the very young age of two years old. While I wouldn’t say that I was a “Christian” from that age, or that I had a handle on the gospel, my parents intentionally established me and my siblings with a foundation based on it. I knew very well that Jesus Christ was God, the same God Who created me, that He came to earth to die on the cross for my sins, and that anyone who didn’t accept Him as their Lord and Savior would go to hell. Realizing that God was also my loving Father who wanted a real and intimate relationship with me would come later.

I was twelve years old when I made a decision to follow the Lord in every aspect of my life. I had been influenced by my oldest cousin who was getting caught up with boys and was lying to her parents about what she did and who she was with while she was gone from home. In confidence she let me know what she was really doing, and I thought it was cool to be a part of it. I began listening to music that did not please the Lord, and that was forbidden by my parents. I, too, lied to them and my aunt and uncle about where my cousin was and what she was doing.

It was at a church revival that my cousin gave her life to the Lord. She then came to me and apologized for what she had involved me in. To see my cousin, whom I thought was so cool at the time, give her life to the Lord like that made me re-think how my behavior had been. I confessed to my parents and asked forgiveness for the lies, but I also confessed to the Lord because I knew that even more than disappointing my parents, I had disappointed Him. What I had been doing went further than just lying to my parents, or disobeying the rules they had set for me. I had been dishonoring God by not wanting to please and honor Him above anything or anyone else. That same week I gave my life completely to Him.

This was a really personal commitment from my heart and I have never turned from it. Since that time I have only been growing in the Lord. There were times throughout my young adulthood that I tested my faith, but the Lord was Faithful to show me that there is only true joy in Him. It was in my high school years that the Lord laid it on my heart that I would be involved in ministry all of my life, I just wasn’t sure of the capacity.

I would say one of the areas I am continually before the throne asking God to help me in is my discipline!!! Not just with taking care of my husband, keeping the house clean, teaching my kids, or even in discipling women, but also with the most important part of my life- spending time with Him!

The greatest joys I have ever found, the greatest help, the strongest I have ever felt has been when I have been saturated in the Word of God. When I have come before the Lord and said, “Give me wisdom and understanding, like you gave to Solomon. Give me a heart that grieves over my sin. Give me eyes to see people as You see them, and increase my love for You so that I may love your church more too!” As I walk the daily roads in my life I can say that each day the Holy Spirit’s voice becomes all the more clear, recalling His Word to my mind and urging me to do what I know is right in the sight of God.

My flesh, pride of life, the enticements of this world, and the attempts from the enemy that would seek to destroy me are all a reality in my daily life. I will fight them to eternity. I am so grateful for the cross of Jesus! I am indebted to Him for placing me before the Father spotless and holy because of the blood He shed for me. I am so grateful for the countless godly people in my life who have fought with me to keep running this race with my eyes fixed on Jesus.

Philippians 3:7-11: “But whatever gain I had, I counted as loss for the sake of Christ. Indeed, I count everything as loss because of the surpassing worth of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord. For his sake I have suffered the loss of all things and count them as rubbish, in order that I may gain Christ and be found in him, not having a righteousness of my own that comes from the law, but that which comes through faith in Christ, the righteousness from God that depends on faith- that I may know him and the power of his resurrection, and may share his sufferings, becoming like him in his death, that by any means possible I may attain the resurrection from the dead.”